Mimesis Online v1.5 Report, Part 1

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Tannhauser Gate initiates a series introducing the massive changes about to be implemented in its online world.

By IGN Staff

Mimesis Online is an intriguing science fiction-based online world that represents the uncompromising creative vision of Tannhauser Gate, a small, independent developer in the small Polish city of Wroclaw. Its co-founders, Artur Jaskolski, Marcin Baryski and Waldek Strzelczyk, had previously come up with a concept for a futuristic 3D animated feature film called Exodus. However, when the trio attempted to move ahead and produce the project, they discovered that it would not be feasible with the level of funding they were able to secure. Not wanting or willing simply to abandon the idea, they then shifted their sights to another medium, one that seemed better suited to their knowledge, abilities and resources, the Internet. After some three years of development, their dedication and their efforts were rewarded in mid-January last year when the game entered commercial service.

The setting in which the game takes place is the land of Gotrath, the dark and twisted product of a great cataclysm referred to as The Day of Rage that violently warped together a number of very disparate worlds. The skies are often masked in thick green cloud cover, and the land below seems to ache with great claw formations wrenching up through its barren surface. The majority of Earth's flora and fauna did not survive the calamity; as a result, the environment is a uniquely intriguing one that blends familiar elements with unusual creatures, races, items and technologies. A few months ago, it came to our attention that the team was working on a major update, later dubbed version 1.5, that will implement many significant additions, changes and enhancements. We turned to the company to tell us the details.

Game Play

Introduction to the modifications Mimesis Online, a 3D massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Tannhauser Gate, was released back in January, 2002. For the last six months, the game has been undergoing in-depth modifications, which have included general game play, the login and character creation system, graphics, combat system, interface and others. Old bugs have been fixed and, foremost, a lot of new content has been added - guilds with terrain control, political system, etc. Those and many other features should make the new Mimesis a much more playable online world and more worthy of gamers' attention.

Currently, the new version 1.5 is in closed beta. It should be ready and available for free public download by the end of June. The seven-day free trial will be available for everyone; you'll need to purchase a subscription to play longer than that.

Exclusively for RPG Vault, we are happy to share what the new Mimesis is really about. In a series of reports, we'll be presenting the major modifications that have been implemented.

Today we're bringing you the first report, which sheds a light on a few general gameplay-related improvements players will find in the new Mimesis.

The new gameplay in brief Fast-paced action, a short learning curve, easy and intuitive control, and enhanced player to player interaction options have been the most important goals set up by the development team. What are the details then? What has been done? See below for the most important details.

Combat system Instead of clicking the mouse on a target (like it used to be), the combat in Mimesis is now more sophisticated and organized with a tactical element, too. Having attacked a target, a player will enter auto-combat mode. He can determine his fighting style, choosing from more defensive to aggressive tactics. While fighting, players can now launch combo attacks, which deal a considerable amount of damage. The new combat system is going to be widely presented in the next part of the modifications report.

Point and click movement It was important to assure that character control is easier and more precise than it used to be. Thus, mouse control and point and click movement have been implemented. Using the keyboard is still an option, but now, players can easily control their characters with the mouse only. Movement works precisely, so the players' petitions on this matter did not prove pointless. It is worth mentioning that running speed has been accelerated. The vast areas of the Mimesis world are now easier and more fun to explore. In addition, we intend to implement teleports shortly.

Communication One of the most important factors that influence playing experience is definitely communication. There are several tools in Mimesis that make in-game communication effective as well as easy and intuitive. A player organizes his own address book and decides whom to add to his contacts. Then, it takes only one mouse click on an entry and you can send e-mails / tells. The address book provides information on localization and status of your entries.

Chat itself has evolved into a sophisticated tool with many cool features. Besides working as a text editor, it allows, for example, dragging and dropping items onto the chat window. That causes it to display complete information about the item. A player can then send such info to others; e.g. to show his friends / party members about an artifact he found.